Humanist Jennifer Hancock column for Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016

My humanist families group just celebrated Darwin Day. Charles Darwin was born Feb. 12, 1809. The English naturalist died April 19, 1882.

It's an annual event for us. We have a party complete with a dinosaur cake and hold a blue-footed booby dance competition.

We celebrate Darwin's birthday because scientific literacy is important to us.

The foundation of the modern world has been laid with science.

Science is one of the most important tools we humans have ever invented for understanding the world around us and how things work, second only to mathematics.

And yet, too many Americans are scientifically illiterate.

I read somewhere more than 50 percent of Americans do not know that an electron is smaller than an atom.

Considering electronics is so central to our daily lives, the fact almost half of us don't even know what electricity is or how it works beyond the -- you can turn it on or off level of understanding -- is frightening.

What's even more frightening is how many people don't even want to know.

To me, this is mind boggling.

Science helps us understand how the world works. With this information we can fix our problems.

We don't have to accept the status quo if the status quo involves suffering. For instance, the rate of women dying in childbirth has plummeted because of science.

We no longer routinely die horrible deaths from infected bug bites.

The reduction of infant mortality rates is also because of science.

This great news directly impacts your life and ability to live life fully.

We should be celebrating our ability to do science and math.

If we are created in God's image, then God must be a scientist. And yet we have politicians and people who are anti-intellectual and anti-science in the name of their religion.

I really don't care if an individual wants to be scientifically illiterate. Their inability to solve problems effectively is their business.

I only care when what they believe causes harm to others.

And yes, the rejection of science causes real harm. For instance, polio had basically been eradicated. It's making a comeback though because religious extremists in Pakistan have been preventing people from getting the necessary vaccinations.

Science matters.

I want my son to be scientifically literate because I want him to be able to solve whatever problems come his way. I want him to contribute to making the world a better place.

I don't want him harming others through ignorance.

The fact human brains can solve problems using math and science is nothing short of amazing. We should be encouraging and nurturing our kid's brains. This is why I, like my fellow humanist parents, celebrate science whenever we can.

It really is that important.

Jennifer Hancock, a humanist educator and author of several books, is at jen-hancock.com and on Twitter@jenthehumanist. Faith Matters is a regular feature of Saturday's Herald.

This story was originally published February 19, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "Humanist Jennifer Hancock column for Saturday, Feb. 20, 2016 ."